Questionnaire recorder



Dec. 2, 1947.

P. WHlTE QUESTIONNAIRE RECORDER Filed Sept. 26, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 www QUESTIONNAIRE RECORDER Filed sept. 2s, 1944 2 shets-sheet 2 ATTORNEY P. wHnE f 2,431,784

mediary of a bushing 23 and a sleeve block 24. Keyed also to the shaft 20 is a hollow roller 25 that rotates within the tube I9. A heavy viscose fluid is confined in the space between the outer surface of the hollow roller 25 and the tube I9, suitable shaft seals 25 being utilized for preventing the escape of this fluid. It is the purpose of the fluid to slow down rotation of the'shaft 20 and its roller 25 and paper supply roll- I1 whenever the shaft 9 is rotated, as will presently be made apparent.

Keyed by key 28a to the shaft 2U is a gear 21, a cam 28 and a pulley 29. A leather belt 39 runs over the pulley 29 and a pulley 3| secured to shaft I6. It is, of course, the purpose of this arrangement to drive the shaft I6 and hence the take-up roll I whenever supply roll I1 is rotated.

The gear 21, as is best apparent from Fig, 3, is in driven relation to a pinion 32 mounted on the base I Il, the pinion 32 being in turn driven by a gear 33 keyed at 34 to a sleeve 35. The sleeve 35 is in turn mounted for rotation about the drive shaft 85 of a synchronous time movement designated generally by reference numeral 31. Keyed to the shaft 36 is the bevel gear 38 through its central bearing block 39. A spring 4I!v is secured at one end to the block 39 and at its other end to the sleeve 3f, and is adapted to be wound and placed under tension through rotation of the gear 38 and the block 39. It is, of course, the function of the spring 40 to rotate the gear 33, pinion 32, gear 21 and paper take-up roll I1 whenever the take-up roll is free to rotate.

Roll I1 is preferably adapted for rotation only at periodic predetermined intervals. For the particular purpose, I utilize the cam 28 to which I have heretofore alluded. This cam, it will be recalled, is keyed to the shaft 28 so that the shaft 29 may not rotate unless the said cam is free to rotate. For controlling the cam, I utilize a lever 45 pivoted at 46 on the base I0 and pressed by a spring 41 in a counterclockwise direction about the said pivot 45 and toward a limit pin 48, as is apparent in Fig. 3. The cam disk 28 is formed with a lug 49 opposite which is normally stationed the foot 45a of lever 45 for preventing rotation of the cam disk 28 and shaft 29.' The lever 45 is rotatable to its dash and dotted line position of Fig. 3 by a disk 59 that is keyed at 5I to the continuously rotating synchronous timer shaft 36. A cam 52 on the disk 50 cooperates with the cam lug 45h of the lever 45 and urges it into the said dash and dotted line position once in each revolution of disk 58. This revolution may take place during any desired interval, depending upon the construction of the timer mechanism. Itis, of course, obvious that a disk having more than one cam 52 may be utilized if that be desired.

When the lever 45 is in its dash and dotted line position, the foot 45a is withdrawn from blocking relation to lug 49 of cam disk 28 so that the cam disk 28 together with the shaft 20 andthe supply roll I1 may rotate to move the paper from the supply roll I1 over the guide roll 44 and downwardly on platen I4, all as is quite apparent. This movement will be under the control of the fluid maintained between the roller 25 and the tube I9 as has already been made apparent.

This movement of the shaft 29 and cam disk 28 will bring the lug 49 opposite the hook portion 55 of the lever 45 whereby to stop the rotation of the shaft 28. As soon as the cam 52 passes beyond the cam lug 45h of lever 45, the said lever will, of course, return to its full line position of Fig. 3 and the shaft 28 together with the cam disk 28 and lug 49 will be allowed to complete rotation to the initial full line position illustrated in Fig. 3. It is, of course, apparent that during the predetermined interval a fresh sheet of paper is presented through the opening O of the casing cover II so that written matter may be applied to the paper P in answer to the particular question orv questions that may be presented on the paper during the particular interval. If desired, the question to be answered may be made to appear during the relatively short period the timer requires to move cam 52 beyond cam lug 45h after contacting the said cam lug 45h.

It may be well at this point to emphasize that the constant rotation and operation of the timer 31 is utilized for the storing of energy within the spring 4U for feeding the paper P, while the same rotation is utilized for the periodic release of the paper feeding mechanism so that the paper may actually be moved. It will further be well to note that the timer may always be set by a setting mechanism S shown in Fig. 4 in the event some correction is required. Also, the bevel gear 38 that is rotatable with the bearing block 39 is in geared relation to a further bevel gear 69 that actuates a time indicating mechanism BI. It is, of course, possible to view the indicating hands of this time mechanism through the glass 62 as is best apparent in Fig. 1.

It may now be helpful to review one cycle of operation of my invention. Continuous rotation of the synchronous timer 31 effects a continuous rotation of the gear 38 and its bearing block 39 as well as the main shaft 36. The rotation of the bearing block 39 effects the tensioning of the spring 49 that is secured at one end to the bearing block 39 and at its other end to the sleeve 35. Sleeve 35 has keyed thereto at 34 the gear 33 and tends to rotate that gear, the pinion 32 and the' gear 21 to feed the paper because the gear 21 is keyed to the shaft 20 to which the cam 28 is also keyed. The lever 45 prevents feeding of the paper until the said lever is moved from its full line position of Fig. 3 to its dash and dotted line position. This movement of the lever 45 is effected periodically by the cam 52 and a disk 50 keyed to the timer shaft 35. Upon release movement of the lever 45 the paper will be fed forward from the supply roll I1, this feeding taking place in two steps through the action of the hook portion 55 of the lever 45. The person having the device in his possession will then answer the question or questions printed on the paper P, utilizing for this purpose the opening O in the casing cover II and the platen portion I4. If desired, he may also answer a question appearing after the first and relatively short movement of the paper effected during the movement of lever 45 to its dash and dotted line position of Fig. 3.

I now claim:

1. In a combination of the class described, a casing, paper moving means for feeding paper relatively to parts of said casing at predetermined intervals, a continuously moving time mechanism having a continuously moving part, energy storing mechanism energized by said time mechanism, means whereby said energy storing mechanism actuates said paper moving means at a speed independent of said time mechanism, detent means blocking operation of said paper moving means, and means whereby said continuously moving part of said time mechanism releases said paper moving means from said detent means for movement by said energy storing mechanism at said predetermined intervals, said same continuously moving part effecting also the movement of said detent means to block operation of said paper moving means.

2. In a combination of the class described, a casing, paper moving means for feeding paper relatively to parts of said casing in predetermined cycles, a continuously moving time mechanism, energy storing mechanism energized by said time mechanism, means whereby said energy storing mechanism actuates said paper moving means at a speed independent of said time mechanism, means whereby said time mechanism releases said paper moving means for movement at the beginning of a predetermined cycle, means whereby said time mechanism stops said paper moving means at an intermediate point in each cycleD and thereafter releases said paper moving means for movement to a position corresponding to its Position at the beginning of the next cycle.

3. In a combination of the class described, a casing having an opening, a platen in said casing positioned under said opening and over which paper is drawn for the manual application of 'written matter through said opening in said casing, paper moving means for feeding paper over said platen at predetermined intervals, a continuously moving time mechanism having a continuously moving part, energy storing mechanism energized by said time mechanismy means ywhereby said energy storing mechanism actuates said paper moving means at a speed independent of said time mechanism, detent means adapted for contact with a part of said paper moving means for blocking operation thereof, and means wher by said continuously moving part of said time mechanism releases said paper moving means from said detent means for movement by said energy storing mechanism at said predetermined intervals and thereafter effects the blocking of said paper moving means.

4. In a combination of the class described, a casing having an opening, a platen in said casing positioned under said opening and over which paper is drawn for the manual application of written matter through said opening in said casing, paper moving rolls for feeding paper over said platen at predetermined intervals a continuously moving time mechanism, a spring, winding mechanism for said spring, means whereby said spring actuates said paper moving rolls, means of connection between said spring winding mechanism and said continuously moving time mechanism whereby said time mechanism winds said spring, a detent cooperable with a part of said paper moving rolls for blocking rotation of said paper moving rolls, and a cam mechanism whereby said time mechanism releases said paper moving rolls from said detent for movement by said spring.

5. In a combination of the class described, a casing, paper feeding means in said casing, a continuously moving time mechanism, energy storing means, means whereby said energy storing means is driven by said time mechanism to store energy therein, means whereby said energy storing means actuates said paper feeding means at a speed independent of said time mechanism, a movable dog mounted in said casing having two detent surfaces, detent means forming part of said paper feeding means and cooperable with the detent surfaces of said dog to block actuation of said paper feeding means by said energy storing means in two positions of said paper feeding means, and a cam movable continuously by said time mechanism for moving said dog whereby to move said two detent surfaces into and out of blocking relation to said detent means forming part of said paper feeding means.

6. In a combination of the class described, a casing, paper feeding means in said casing, a continuously moving time mechanism, energy storing means, means whereby said energy storing means is driven by said time mechanism to store energy therein, means whereby said energy storing means actuates said paper feeding means at a speed independent of said time mechanism, a movable dog mounted in said casing, a lug secured to a part of said paper feeding means and cooperable with said dog to block actuation of said paper feeding means by said energy storing means, and a cam movable continuously by said time mechanism for moving a part of said dog out of blocking relation to said cam lug while bringing a second part of said dog into position to block said lug after movement of said lug a predetermined degree, said continuously moving cam then effecting movement of said dog to its initial position to allow movement of said lug to its initial position in blocked relation to said dog.

7. In a combination of the class described, a casing, paper feeding means in said casing, a continuously moving time mechanism, energy storing means, means whereby said energy storing means is driven by said time mechanism to store energy therein, means whereby said energy storing means actuates said paper feedin means at a speed independent of said time mechanism, a dog pivoted in said casing and having two spaced detent portions, a lug secured to a rotating part of said paper feeding means, a spring pressing said dog so that one of its detents blocks rotation of said lug, a continuously rotatable cam movable by said time mechanism and adapted at a zone in its rotation to move said dog against said spring pressure so as to release said lug and paper feeding part for rotation beyond said one dog detent and to bring said lug against the other detent portion of said dog, said cam then releasing said dog for movement to its initial position whereupon said lug is released from said second detent portion for movement against the rst detent of said lug.

PERCIVAL WHITE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the flle of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,954,212 Lawlor et al Apr. 10, 1934i- 1,879,641 Sunkenberg et al. Sept. 27, 1932 1,759,409 Lassiter May 20, 1930 1,942,409 Carver et al Jan. 9, 1934 2,109,535 Jones Mar. 1, 1938 2,106,042 Stark Jan. 18, 1938 2,224,609 Plym et al Dec. 10, 1940iA 1,978,973 Whitehead et al. Oct. 30, 1934 2,209,858 Steiert July 30, 1940 

